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A wounded police officer in the suburban South wakes up from a coma and finds the door to his hospital room has been barred. He breaks free into a ruined and abandoned hospital, where the staff and patients have disappeared. Something enormous and clearly sinister has happened. The streets outside are blanketed with debris and abandoned vehicles. He is surrounded by death. While he was sleeping, most of the world was devoured by flesh-eating corpses.

Although AMC's The Walking Dead is obviously a show about zombies, the characters never refer to them as such. The program maintains a specific tone. They call them walkers, or biters, or simply The Dead, and they populate the landscape of the show, from the streets of Atlanta, to the abandoned highways, to the rural farmhouses. Police Officer Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, quickly learns what has happened to the outside world. and he embarks on a mission to find his wife and son, unprepared for the true scale of what awaits him. Along the way, he meets a variety of survivors from different walks of life and with various outlooks on the state of their post-apocalyptic world and humanity's hope for the future.

The Walking Dead was created by horror master Frank Darabont, based on Robert Kirman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard's comic book series of the same name. It is arguably distinguished from other zombie stories in its unflinching realism and willingness to tackle morally complex and bleak issues. It focuses on a large range of characters, from Rick's unstable former partner, Shane (Jon Bernthal), to redneck and reluctant warrior Darryl (Norman Reedus), to suicidal Andrea (Laurie Holden), to optimistic Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn). They journey through the countryside battling walkers and searching for a place of safety, while they wonder if such a place can ever exist for long.

Although there is little technology to speak of, bits and pieces of the truth about what's happened to the world come to light for the characters through their visit to the Atlanta CDC and other details. But the how and why of the zombie epidemic is never at the forefront of the story. Instead, The Walking Dead is about the human condition and how much horror and despair someone can handle before they begin to unravel. The pressures of living in the ruins of civilization, under the constant threat of violent death, transform Rick, his family, and his new-found friends into profoundly different people. His relationship with his wife, Lori, played by experienced television actress Sarah Wayne Callies, and their young son, Carl, played by Chandler Riggs, is constantly tested. And as they continue to explore what remains of America, they meet enemies among the living and the dead.

Filmed on location in Georgia. The Walking Dead premiered in October of 2010 to both critical and commercial success. Many of its principal cast members are veterans of Darabont's film work, including Holden, DeMunn, and others. Lincoln is a television veteran in his home country of England making his transition to an American series. The show was initially green-lit by AMC based mostly on Darabont's involvement and the popularity of the comic books. It went on to consistently earn better ratings than any other drama series in the history of basic cable. It is distributed around the world by Fox International Channels.

Though Frank Darabont has since left The Walking Dead, AMC continues to produce their most popular television show. It has been nominated and won several awards, including the AFI award for TV Programme of the year in both 2010 and 2012. The Saturn and Satellite Awards continue to recognize it across the board, and in 2011 it was nominated for Best Drama Series by the Golden Globes. Darabont himself was nominated for a Director's Guild award for the series, and the Primetime Emmy Awards have recognized it in the areas of makeup, sound editing, and visual effects.

The Walking Dead News

When we last left the gang, Rick had really gone off his rocker and actually needed Michonne to knock him out as he ranted and raved in the streets of Alexandria.
His deal with Jessie and Pete notwithstanding, Rick seems to be on the decline and might even be looking at banishment from Alexandria, if anyone will stand up to him.
We start off the week with Morgan, whose run-in with a W-branded man reveals a little more about that mystery...though it's about men turning into wolves so it doesn't make a lot of sense.

Are you ready for more walkers?
During Sunday's finale episode of "The Walking Dead," AMC released the first-ever trailer for the show's upcoming spin-off, and revealed the show's official title: "Fear the Walking Dead."
The show will take place in the Walking Dead universe but will focus on a different set of people in a different area, thus coming up with its own storylines since it will not be based on existing comic books.
From the trailer, it looks like the setting will be Los Angeles: the trailer opens with a shot of LA and a morning news report that warns people to get their flu shots after reports of a "strange virus" appearing in the area.

Usually, TV shows start as pilots and are then either picked up to a single season—or even half-season—order or tossed out.
This is not the case when you're dealing with the spin-off to the biggest show in cable history, though.
The spin-off to "The Walking Dead" has just received a huge vote of confidence from its home network: AMC has given the show a full two-season order, locking in not only the first season but also the second months before the pilot episode has even aired.

Some people like to collect movie and TV memorabilia: a poster here, a signed script there, maybe even an authentic prop or two if they're lucky.
Those people are chumps.
This is where the real action is: an entire town used as a set for "The Walking Dead" is up for sale on eBay.
Now that is a collectible.
Yes, you can be the proud owner of Grantville, Georgia...if you happen to have $680,000 lying around, that is. That's the current going rate, and it'll buy you the downtown area of Grantville—all 34,000 square feet of it—along with the nine buildings therein.

As we get closer to the Season 5 finale, the group is faced with a test. Can they trust a newcomer and his safe community? Maggie and Sasha arrive back with Aaron, who they found lurking. Aaron is a seemingly nice guy, who promises to allow them inside his community if they “audition.”
“It’s hard to trust anyone who smiles after they got punched in the face.” - Rick to Aaron
Obviously Rick is suspicious and doesn't trust him, but who can blame him really.

If you're a fan of Robert Kirkman and "The Walking Dead," you might want to get yourself a subscription to Cinemax.
The pay-cable network has just given a series order to "Outcast," a new show based on the comics books of the same name, created by Kirkman.
Instead of zombies and a post-apocalyptic world, "Outcast" focuses on exorcism and a world that could potentially be approaching the apocalypse. The story centers on a man named Kyle Barnes (played by "Almost Famous" star Patrick Fugit) who has dealt with spiritual possession his whole life.

Valentine's Day is coming up in just a couple of weeks, so it's time to start thinking about gifts. But instead of getting that special someone in your life a bouquet of flowers (boring) or chocolates (delicious but predictable), how about something a little more...undead?
If your sweetheart is a "The Walking Dead" fan, there are plenty of gifts out there to make them happy while giving them a piece of their favorite show.
Here are a few "Walking Dead" ideas for Valentine's Day:
Daryl Dixon Necklace
This piece doesn't scream "Walking Dead" since Daryl uses a crossbow, but it is "Walking Dead" inspired.

"The Walking Dead" has a new human survivor!
Ross Marquand has reportedly been cast in "The Walking Dead" and will appear sometime in the AMC show's eight remaining episodes of the season, which kick off in February. What we don't know yet is which character from the comics Marquand will play.
Fans are already speculating that Marquand will play Aaron, a man from a nearby safe zone who meets Rick and his gang on the road. Of course, we know how things have gone in previous "safe zones" for Rick & Co.

Say hello to your new Rick Grimes!
With "The Walking Dead" continuing to land impressive numbers in the ratings, AMC recently announced a spin-off series set in the "Walking Dead" universe.
The series, which is currently titled "Cobalt," will take place in Los Angeles and act as a sequel to "The Walking Dead," taking place in the days immediately following the zombie outbreak.
Now, the series has officially cast its lead: Kim Dickens, formerly of "Sons of Anarchy" fame, will take on the lead role of Nancy Tompkins.

Christmas is coming up fast...faster than a shambling zombie. So if you don't have your Christmas shopping done yet, it's time to get to work!
If you have a fan of "The Walking Dead" on your Christmas list, you might want to get them something that references their favorite show on TV. But which item should you get?
Here are 10 suggestions of "Walking Dead"-themed gifts forthe zombie enthusiast on your list:
1. Walking Dead Monopoly
The only thing more stressful that fighting off a herd of walkers while trying to defend your prison sanctuary from attackers is playing a full game of Monopoly with your family.

When your favorite TV character dies, you can either be sad, or get angry.
A petition on Change.org has been gaining traction after last week's episode of "The Walking Dead," in which a major character was killed in a hostage exchange.
Spoilers ahead!
Rick and the team had almost managed to pull off a peaceful prisoner exchange with the corrupt cops holed up at the hospital. But a moment of anger from Beth upended the situation, and Beth ended up with a bullet in her head as a result.

Everyone involved with "The Walking Dead" promised that this season was going to be bloody.
So far, they've all been true to their word.
Another major character bit the literal and figurative bullet on Sunday night's midseason finale, the show's final episode before returning in February of 2015.
If you haven't watched yet, don't read on...SPOILERS follow!
The episode saw Rick and company trying to devise a proper plan to free Beth and Carol from Grady Memorial Hospital, where they were being held by a group of seriously corrupt cops.

"The Walking Dead" already has zombies, but a ghost is about to join the cast soon.
Alexandra Breckenridge is set to join the cast of "The Walking Dead" this season in a recurring role with the potential to become a series regular next season. Breckenridge is best known for her role in the first season of "American Horror Story" as the young, sexy version of Moira, the Murder House's maid.
Few details are out yet about Breckenridge's character in "TWD," though there was a description the casting breakdown for the role.